Episode #0: The Origin Issue, "Who I Am and How I Came To Be!"

To go to the podcast website: www.supermanfanpodcast.mypodcast.com
To send e-mail about this podcast: supermanfanpodcast@gmail.com
To read my other blog My Pull List: http://www.mypulllist.blogspot.com/

My first podcast has been published! Right now it's bare bones, without intro music or sound effects, but this is the first time I'm using computer audio programs. And as my budget increases I hope to ad music and sound effects as I learn by doing.

I called this first podcast "Episode #0" because I wanted to introduce myself and share how I became involved in comic books and a hobby, and how that led to podcasting.

Superman Fan Podcast is a family friendly, work friendly podcast that will feature one small aspect of Superman: specific stories or characters, one of the many writers, artists and editors who have added to Superman's legacy in comics, or one of the actors or directors who have expanded Superman into radio, animation, television or the movies. It will be published weekly, usually on Wednesdays.

During holidays or other special times of the year I will feature Superman stories or characters as they apply. For instance:
Valentine's Day: Superman's girlfriends
President's Day: Superman meets various U. S. Presidents
April Fool's Day: the silly or bad (by today's standards) Superman stories, and,yes, Superman had his share of those. Also featuring the "imaginary stories" among my favorite Superman stories.
Memorial Day: "Death of Superman" stories. There were more than just the "Doomsday" story.
July 4th: featuring World's Finest Comics. July 4, 1940 was declared "Superman Day"at the 1939-40 New York World's Fair, and the World's Finest Comics series had its beginnings there.
Halloween: there are some scary Superman stories.
Veteran's Day: Superman involved with the military
Christmas: Superman stories involving the yuletide season.

The most important part of Superman Fan Podcast is listener participation.
Below are some open questions that are welcome anytime from listeners:
- Why is Superman your favorite comic book character?
- Why is Superman not your favorite comic book character? There is no right or wrong answer, and this isn't a debate. This is an open forum where we respect each other's preferences and share what we like about super-hero comics.
- What are your favorite Superman stories?
- Have you been luck enough to have any issues of Superman autographed?
- Have you met any Superman creators?
- Who are your favorite Superman writers, artists or editors?
- Have you ever bought or been given any original Superman art?
-What books on comic book history in general, or Superman in particular, have you read?
- Are there any other features you would like to see a part of Superman Fan Podcast?

If you are interested in reading the Cleveland Plain Dealer article The Superman Challenge by Michael Sangiacomo, here is the link:
www.cleveland.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2007/12/is_cleveland_ready_to_take_the.html

Comic Book Podcasts
Below are some of the comic book podcasts I have listened to, and where noted, the episodes that feature Superman:

Collected Comics Library
#74 & #75 Superman
#153 Alex Ross

Fanboy Radio
This program got me interested in comic book podcasts and eventually led me to do my own podcast:
#30 Mark Waid
#153 & 371 Alex Ross
#282 Jim Krueger
#295 Stump Mark Waid
#325 Neal Adams
#349 Alan Moore

The Golden Age of Comic Books
This comic book podcast was the model I used to develop my own format for my own podcast.
June 12, 2005
December 19, 2005

Word Balloon
some episodes may not be work friendly because of language.
Marty Pasko (Parts 1 & 2)
Mark Waid

World's Finest Podcast
this podcast is not work friendly because of language.
World's Finest Podcast reviews the episodes of all of the WB Bruce Timm, Paul Dini, et. al. DC animated shows, beginning with Batman: The Animated Series. They have not gotten to Superman: the Animated Series yet, but stay tuned.

Books on Comic Book History
This is by no means a complete list, just the books I have been lucky enough to get my hands on, listed by title, author, publisher and date of publication:
Men of Tomorrow: Geeks, Gangsters and the Birth of the Comic Book by Greard Jones, Basic Books (2004)
Curt Swan: A Life In Comics by Eddy Zeno, Vanguard Productions (2002)
Stan Lee and the Rise and Fall of the American Comic Book by Jordan Raphael and Tom Spurgeon, Chicago Review Press (2003)
Tales to Astonish: Jack Kirby, Stan Lee and the American Comic Book Revolution by Ronin Ro, Bloomsbury (2004)
The Comic Book Makers by Joe simon with Jim Simon, Vanguard Productions (2003)
Will Eisner: A Spirited Life by Bob Andelman, M Press (2005)
(I was lucky enough to be in the audience of Mr. Andelman's panel at Orlando, FL's Megacon 2006 when he spoke about the book and working with Will Eisner.)
Man of Two Worlds: My Life in Science Fiction and Comics by Julius Schwartz with Brian M. Thomsen, with a forward by Harlan Ellison (2000).
Superman: The Complete History by Les Daniels, Chronicle Books (1998)
Mythology: The DC Comics Art of Alex Ross, Chip Kidd and Geoff Spear, Pantheon Books (2005)
The Great Comic Book Heroes by Jules Feiffer, Bonanza, 1965 (Fantagraphics came out with an edition in 2003, but according to Chris of the Collected Comics Library podcast, this new edition does not contain the comic book story reprints of the original. While Feiffer's writing is interesting, I agree with Chris that the reprints add a bonus to the book. Search for the original. If you can't find it, go ahead and get the new edition. Feiffer was one of the first to begin piecing together the history of comic books.)
The Wizard Alex Ross Special, Wizard Entertainment (2003)
Superman At Fifty! the Persistence of A Legend, eidted by Gary D. Engle and Dennis Dooley, Octavia Press ( 1987)
It's Superman! (a novel), Tom DeHaven, Chronicle Books (2005)

Superman Trade Paperbacks
This is by no means a complete list of all of Superman's collected editions. These are only the ones I'm lucky enough to have. For a complete list go to dccomics.com or to collectedcomicslibrary.com.

The Greatest Superman Stories Ever Told (1986)
Superman In The Fifties (2002)
Superman In The Sixties (1999)
DC's Greatest Imaginary Stories (2005)
The Greatest Team-Up Stories Ever Told (1990)
Showcase Presents: Superman (vol.'s I & II) (2005, 2006, respectively)
Showcase Presents: Superman Family (vol. I) (2006)
Showcase Presents: Legion of Super-Heroes (vol. I) (2007)
Showcase Presnets: Metamorpho (2005) He doesn't have anything to do with Superman, except for the last story, which reprints Justice League of America #42, in which Metamorpho appears. I thought I'd add it here because, of the minor DC superhoroes, Metamorpho and the Elongated Man are my favorite.

DVD's
These are only the Superman DVD's in my collection, and are not a complete list of those available.
Superman I & II
Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut
Superman Returns
The Complete Superman Collection: the Paramount Cartoon Classics of Max & Dave Fleischer
The Adventures of Superman (all six seasons of the 1950's TV show)
Look! Up In the Sky! The Amazing Story of Superman (narrated by Kevin Spacey)
Superman Doomsday
Hollywoodland (the movie starring Ben Affleck about the death of '50's Superman actor George Reeves)
Justice League Unlimited: Joining Forces
Superman: the Animated Series (I don't have any of the three seasons of this series, but I would recommend it to any Superman fan. I only have two seasons of Batman: The Animated Series.)
The Tick Vs. (Seasons I & II) and The Incredibles (These three DVD's don't have anything to do with Superman, but if you enjoy super-heroes, you should enjoy these DVD's)

Thank you for being a part of Superman Fan Podcast. Thanks most importantly go to Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster who, like most trailblazers in life, did not get to enjoy the fruits of their creation, but have given us a legacy we have enjoyed for decades.